Recently we finally had a break among our California shows and headed for... the beach! And since we were in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach was our destination. For me, just being at the seaside is enough to get me pumped because I have a thing for surf and saltwater, but what made this doubly exciting was the thought of seeing the "real" O.C.

The O.C.—everyone my age seemed to grow up absorbed with the hit television series about young life in Orange County. We were addicted to Marissa, Ryan, Seth, and Summer—rich, spoiled kids whose lives revolved around love, parties, and brawls. And the one thing I loved most about The O.C. was how it was intertwined with Newport Beach life.

The beach was beautifully familiar, and I couldn’t help but reminisce about old episodes. I got off the bus, jumped on the sand, kicked off my shoes and sped to the water. I wanted to dive in, but I’m glad I didn’t! The water was FREEZING!  Maybe not Antarctic freezing, but it was "I can’t feel my legs" freezing. Being in California, I’d forgotten it was the middle of winter.

Even though we didn’t get our swim, we still had some good let-your-hair-down-fun. My highlight was a hilarious bunch of desperate seagulls fighting over an empty Cheetos bag. They even stalked me as I took it to the garbage. 

My O.C. experience wasn’t as exciting as I had wished it to be, but oh well, I’ve got my hopes up for Bondi, Sydney, and Waikiki, Hawaii. It might still be a few months away but I’ll have my togs and sunscreen ready.

February 10, 2012